"I may as well have the advantage of my luck, if any advantage there be!" she had told herself.
Ney listened, frowning.
"You are in luck, mon brave," he said. "What is your name?"
"Michel Prevost, Excellence."
"Good; you are a sergeant, I see; call yourself a lieutenant; do you know this place the fellow referred to—the place of ambush?"
"I was myself ambushed there yesterday with my regiment, Excellence; it is well adapted for a surprise."
"Good; you shall be guide; the surprise this time shall be to the Cossacks and your friends with the pitchforks. If you guide us cleverly you shall call yourself captain, though, entre nous, I think most of us are more likely to need our titles for paradise than for Paris!"
On this occasion the Cossacks were caught napping and Louise came out of her adventure with the epaulettes of a captain, which Ney bestowed upon her with his own hands.